TWO letters published in the Star in recent weeks — from Alastair McLeish and the Scottish Socialist Party’s Ken Ferguson — have criticised the “relentless anti-SNP tone” (Ferguson’s words) of the paper’s Scottish coverage.

I’m always happy to take on board suggestions as to how we can improve and broaden content relating to Scotland.

Ferguson’s suggestion that we give more space to discussion of a Scottish currency is one I will look to take up.

But he also complains the Star is “largely silent” over the SNP’s Growth Commission.

This seems a little odd given that Ferguson himself wrote to the paper in June to complain about a “major problem” with the Star’s coverage over the very same Growth Commission.

Back then, the problem was that we were only amplifying Labour’s criticisms of the report, and not those of pro-independence groups and figures.

Both of these claims can’t be true at the same time — but they are in fact equally inaccurate. We’ve reported criticisms from SNP figures like Jim Sillars, Kenny MacAskill and George Kerevan — and indeed, the SSP’s Colin Fox.

When the SNP indicated it would adopt the main thrust of the report as party policy earlier this month, the story merited a page lead in the Star — and I reported that the growth commission had been “criticised by leading figures on both sides of the independence debate.”

Yes, I quoted Richard Leonard’s criticism in that article, but I also found space for Kerevan’s perspective.

Over the past year, we’ve significantly expanded our coverage here, piloting Scotland editions and including regular coverage of Holyrood politics for the first time.

But with only 16 pages each weekday, and one staff journalist north of the border, we still can’t give Scottish issues as much space as we’d like.

Any reader of this column will know I’m unconvinced by the SNP’s claims to radicalism

Other Scottish papers may devote pages to the independence debate on a daily basis.

But then again they largely ignore the industrial stories that are the lifeblood — and specialism — of our paper.

If we continue to build on our recent successes and expand circulation, we can work towards a regular Scottish edition.

This would give us more room to explore Scotland-specific issues in the depth they deserve — not just political stories, but coverage of culture, sport and personal stories too.

The Morning Star is, of course, not just any old left-leaning rag, but the paper of the labour movement. Of the 10 national trade unions with a maximum shareholding in the paper, and a seat on its management committee, eight are Labour Party affiliates.

The two that are not — the RMT and POA — have official policy in support of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the party.

And aside from that, we’re proud of our editorial line in support of Labour’s radical new direction. We’ve always had lots of Labour members among our readers, but we probably have more who are now than at any time in recent decades — and that will inevitably affect our priorities for coverage.

Any reader of this column will know I’m unconvinced by the SNP’s claims to radicalism. My critique largely centres on the party’s retreat into status quo centrism and kneejerk Europhilia, which its leadership has arguably promoted at the expense of pushing forward the independence debate.

This column, though, is a space for analysis, reflection and comment — and there’s space for disagreement both in other comment features and the letters page.

On the news pages, meanwhile, we stick to the facts. This week alone, we’ve run an exclusive on Jim Sillars’s comments on the Brexit debate, we’ve reported on Humza Yousaf’s plans for policing and covered the Educational Institute of Scotland’s overwhelming acceptance of the government’s pay offer to teachers.

None of these stories do much to support Scottish Labour — but much as some may slate us as Corbynista cheerleaders, we are a newspaper, after all.

Some Labour supporters would prefer it if we didn’t report on factional disputes within their party — but this too would be a dereliction of duty.

As we continue to grow in Scotland, I hope we can devote more time to investigations. Like the story on David Mundell’s campaign donations we exclusively broke last November, which was picked up by the National the following day.

This type of story is appearing less and less in other papers, as newsrooms grapple with budget constraints and staffing cuts.

While this is a damn shame, if we can step up to the task, it’s also an opportunity for the left to set the agenda.

Across Scotland, there are inspiring struggles taking place — against austerity, precarious work and racism — and for rights at work, a fair economy and respect in society.

The Morning Star is unwavering in its commitment to these struggles, which are heroically fought by left activists on both sides of the independence debate.

So keep the suggestions coming. But let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture.